Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to one of the goddesses: JKR or Charlotte Bronte. The plot belongs to me.
Chapter 12: Amor Ex Libris
Severus dashed up the stairs, two or three at a time, and arrived at the door. He tried the handle but quickly discovered that it was locked.
"Alohomora!" He yelled…but strange amber sparks shot out of his wand. He looked at it for a moment in utter disbelief.
Shaking his head slightly, he pointed his wand again at the door.
"Alohomora!"
Again, those amber sparks. He took a closer look at his wand and noticed that the tip was damaged…cut.
"Blast that confounded Rivers," he muttered angrily as one of the sparks landed on his cheek, burning him and causing him to wince with sudden pain. "My wand is useless."
Rubbing at his cheek, Severus decided that he would have to use the more conventional approach. He took three steps back and then ran at the door, ramming it hard with his shoulder. It immediately gave way and both he and the door tumbled to the floor in a heap of dust and wood fragments. Blinking back the stars from the impact, he stood up and looked around the room.
Typical. More furniture and paintings that had probably cost a small fortune. Really, that Ingram woman had rather garish taste. And then he saw Hermione, and all thoughts of anything else immediately fled his mind.
She was lying in a four poster bed…asleep.
"How did she sleep through all that racket?" He thought to himself as he approached her. There were no wards in the room itself…no magical shielding of any sort except for the crude silencing wards that he had felt at the top of the stairs…and he wasn't quite sure how well they worked.
"Hermione?" He called softly. She did not stir. Sitting down beside her, he touched her hair. Her face was pale and her breathing was very shallow. He touched her wrist to check her pulse…it was slow and weak…almost unnoticeable. Severus frowned. Something was not right about all this and the symptoms were alarmingly familiar. If he did not know better, he would have come to the conclusion that she had been administered a Dreamless Sleep potion. But, that was impossible…wasn't it?
"Hermione? Can you hear me?" He called again, a little louder.
Her brow furled as if she were in deep thought. She began to move her head from side to side…licking her lips as if they were parched…her eyes remained closed.
"Hermione? It's me…Severus. We have to get out of here," he shook her shoulders slightly in an effort to wake her.
This time her lips moved slightly…as if she were trying to speak. Leaning in closer to her, he tried to make out what she was saying.
"Sev….er….us….really…you?" She mumbled thickly.
Severus was becoming very concerned. What had that brute, Rivers, done to her? On a whim, he sniffed her breath cautiously. Nothing poisonous…but wait…something familiar…something dark, musky and dangerous.
Opium.
The fool had given her opium.
"I should have sent him clean through the wall. Blast…and I have no detoxifying potions with me." He held out his wand, pointed it at Hermione and prayed to whatever deity was listening to let him perform one spell…just the one…was it really too much to ask?
"Just one spell," he thought desperately. "It would suffice."
"Enervate," he whispered…frowning at the amber sparks that kept issuing from his wand's tip.
"Enervate," he said, more loudly this time…more amber sparks…and blue ones as well. That could not be good.
"Please," he thought as he closed his eyes. "Please…I love her."
Opening his eyes, he focused all his energy and thought on her.
"Enervate!" He shouted.
Immediately, Hermione's eyes fluttered open in confusion. For a moment she simply blinked…trying to understand…
"Severus? Is…is it really you?" She asked, sitting up to rest a hand on his chest. "I've had so many…dreams…but they were only dreams…never real…"
Severus could not speak for a moment. He simply pulled her into an embrace and, for several moments, did not let her go.
Pulling away, he then looked at her in concern.
"Are you all right, Hermione? He…he didn't…try…"
Hermione shook her head. "No, he did not…touch me but…he…he gave me opium."
"I know."
"No, you don't know…you don't understand…he wanted me to become dependent on it…and him. He wanted me to forget…"
And then she stopped…looking down at the bed linens in sudden interest.
Severus looked at her and something St. John had said earlier replayed itself in his mind.
"I'll make her forget how much she loves you."
Did she love him? Was it possible?
"We have to get out of here and return to Thornfield," Severus muttered as he stood up. "My wand has been damaged and is unreliable at best. Where is yours?"
"St. John took it…as a precaution. I guess he didn't want to be turned into a warty toad," Hermione got out of bed and suddenly felt awkward…she was still in her nightgown.
"You are being charitable…I would have done far worse. However, we have a bit of trouble because I cannot summon your wand with mine…I believe it has cast its last spell for the time being. Just a moment. There must be a robe or a cloak here somewhere," Severus, understanding immediately the source of her discomfort, rummaged through the closets until he turned up a heavy velvet cloak and some riding boots. "I sent your captors to the stables, memories suitably altered…perhaps we could retrieve your wand on our way to Thornfield. They will not be recovering consciousness for quite some time."
She smiled as she accepted the garment, pulling on the boots immediately as she had nothing on her feet. "Thank you, Severus…for coming after me." She pulled the cloak around herself and smiled shyly.
Severus was again struck by the fact that her eyes were filled with something that, for the life of him, filled his heart with newfound hope.
"You are welcome, Hermione. I would never have left you in the hands of that brute…you must know that."
She simply nodded then paused…an odd expression on her face.
"Do you smell something, Severus?"
Severus sniffed the air…yes; there was something in the air…something burning…
"This place is burning…we have to get out now!" Severus shouted, grabbing Hermione's wrist and pulling her out of the room. What they saw made their hearts drop. The lower level was engulfed in flames…and the fire was making their way up the stairs. The silencing wards worked better than he had thought. Damn Blanche Ingram!
Severus quickly looked up and down the corridor but quickly determined that the staircase in question was the only exit route…and it was now blocked. He cursed his useless wand and hurried Hermione back into her room, wishing he could at least close the door.
To her credit, she remained levelheaded and rational. She ran to the window and began pulling desperately at the handle.
"Blast! It's locked," she shouted as she pressed her face against the window. "There is a rose trellis just beneath this window…right to the ground! We could climb down…but the window…"
Severus wasted no time. "Get out of the way, Hermione!"
Picking up a rather pretentious looking gilt chair, he threw it at the window…it shattered the glass magnificently and left a rather jagged opening. Wrapping the bed linens around his arm, Severus quickly smashed away the rest of the glass until there was nothing left but the wooden frame.
"Step carefully over the broken glass, Hermione. I'll go down first…you follow me."
Hermione nodded nervously as she made her way back to the window. Severus stepped onto the sill and looked down. The trellis appeared to be well fastened to the wall of the building. He hoped that it would be strong enough to support both of them. Looking back at the doorway to the corridor and seeing the flames starting to lick the remnants of the door itself, he knew they had no other choice but to take the risk.
Taking a deep breath, he swung himself over the sill and grabbed hold of the trellis. Thankfully, it did not move very much and he slowly started to make his way down.
"Hermione!" He gasped. "Come down now!"
She appeared at the window and looked down at him…rather frightened.
"It will be all right…just put your feet at the junctures of the trellis…it will hold you!"
She stepped onto the sill but she still looked too hesitant.
"Do you trust me?"
"What?" She asked, confused by the question.
"Do you trust me, Hermione?" He shouted…the roar of the fire was becoming deafening. Severus worried that it would soon attract other people. They had to move quickly.
She looked at him with that intangible something that made his heart suddenly race.
"Yes, Severus! I do trust you! But I am so afraid!"
"I am right here…just take one step at a time. One step…and then another…and then one more…you can do this…you're a Gryffindor, remember?"
She gave him a wry smile and swung herself onto the trellis. Slowly and carefully, she started making her way down.
Severus came within several feet of the ground when he let go, falling to the soft earth with a dull thud. Looking up immediately, he was horrified to see flames starting to shoot out of the window…and Hermione wasn't even halfway down yet!
"Hermione!" He shouted.
She looked down at him and then looked up, screaming when she saw the flames starting to burn the trellis.
"Severus! Help! The trellis can't hold much longer!" She cried, trying to climb down more quickly but hampered by the heavy cloak.
"Jump, Hermione!"
"I can't!" She wailed…pulling vainly at the cloak to dislodge it from the trellis. It wouldn't move.
"You've not that far to go…I'll catch you. For pity's sake, woman, just jump!" He shouted.
She undid the fastenings of the cloak and threw off the cumbersome garment. With one fearful glance at Severus, she let herself drop. Screaming, she fell to the ground where Severus waited…hoping that he would be able to break her impact.
Severus felt all the wind knocked out of him as Hermione crashed onto him. He fell to the ground with her landing heavily on top of him and fought back against the sickening darkness that threatened to take him.
When he opened his eyes he saw Hermione looking at him in concern.
"Are you all right?" She asked, touching his cheek.
He winced slightly. "A few bruised ribs, I'd imagine. However, we have to get further away from the building…it's liable to explode."
She nodded, looking around the grounds…"The gardens…this way!" She pulled him to his feet and they ran as quickly as their feet could carry them.
A strange noise made them look back. The house trembled for a moment, a strange roaring sound intensifying in magnitude until…
KABOOM!!!
The explosion was horrific…pieces of glass, wood and other debris started hurtling out in all directions. Hermione saw a large piece of metal coming towards them and, instinctively, launched herself at Severus to knock him down to the ground. They tumbled down an embankment…finally coming to rest by a large copse of shrubbery, far away from the burning building…the crackles of burning wood not nearly as loud.
Hermione sat up immediately, surprised to feel no pain. She turned to Severus and nearly gasped in fright.
He was unconscious…a nasty gash across his forehead was bleeding profusely. And there was more blood…coming from his side. She pulled away at his clothing and saw the stab wound that looked like more blood than wound.
"Oh no…Severus," she cried brokenly. Feeling absolutely helpless but knowing she was the only help there was to be had, she tore several strips from the hem of her nightgown and wiped away the blood on his forehead. She tried her best to pack some of the torn cotton into the wound in an effort to stop the bleeding but her fingers were quickly becoming numb with cold.
"Oh please, Severus…you can't leave me now…I need you so badly," she sobbed as she continued cleaning him. "Please wake up. Please…I…I have to tell you something and now I'm so afraid that it is too late."
She tore another strip off of the nightgown and tied it around his waist so that it applied some pressure on the open wound in his side. It was not easy for her to maneuver the taller man but desperation and the sheer adrenaline of panic gave her a strength she would have otherwise lacked.
"Severus…please…you have to wake up. I have to tell you…I have to let you know…oh please…don't leave me," she began to cry again as she suddenly rested her head on his chest, clutching compulsively at the material of his clothing.
For a moment, her throat felt too tight for words…too painful for sound.
"I love you," she whispered softly.
A sudden touch startled her and she looked up. Severus' eyes were fluttering slightly but he was rapidly regaining consciousness. Grimacing in pain, he tried to sit up but could not. Hermione helped him to a semi-sitting position but it was clear the wound was hurting him badly.
Hermione could not speak…she felt as if Christmas had come early. Her heart was practically dancing. He was alive.
Severus looked at her in utter disbelief. Had he heard those words…or had he imagined them?
"I'll make her forget how much she loves you."
Severus raised his hand to touch her cheek softly; running his thumb over her lips in a caress that could not be interpreted as one of chaste friendship.
It was time for truth…and the biggest risk of all.
"Hermione…I…for the longest time…I have hoped. I mean, I have always admired and respected you…your strength…your wisdom…your depth of compassion. You…have so many qualities that…I had never thought…important…until I met you…knew you. The real you. I hardly dared think…had no reason to expect…"
"Expect what, Severus?"
He took a deep breath. "Expect that you might feel for me what I feel for you."
She was trembling…but not from the cold…and the light shining from her eyes warmed Severus and gave him courage.
"And what do you feel for me, Severus?"
"I love you."
Her breath caught for a moment and her hand touched her mouth in startled, happy surprise.
"I love you, Severus," she said quietly, moving her hand to caress his hair.
He held his arms out to her and she carefully embraced him, mindful of his injury. Severus did not care in the slightest. She loved him. She really loved him. What could be better than that?
"Hermione?"
She looked up at him and smiled. He cupped her cheek with one hand and leaned down to kiss her…a soft and warm joining of lips that was simply wondrous. It was all he wanted…to hold her in his arms…nothing else mattered.
Nothing else came close to this bliss…this sense of finding something so precious…so perfect. He had been blind to what had been in front of his eyes all this time. It was time to make amends for that grievous error.
They did not notice when a golden glow began to emanate from their bodies, engulfing them in a shimmering light…nor did they notice when their surroundings began to blur…images becoming cloudy…whispery.
They did not even notice when they disappeared entirely…
But Bertha Rochester noticed and, looking out her small window, she smiled.
…and Albus Dumbledore certainly noticed when they reappeared in his office, still kissing and holding onto one another tightly.
Although, to his credit, he left as quickly and quietly as he could…and the oblivious couple never noticed that he had been there…or when he left…